3 Dodgers who should see a larger role in 2026, 3 who should not

The Los Angeles Dodgers are now officially looking toward the 2026 season after capturing back-to-back World Series with their thrilling Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

First and foremost, Los Angeles will look at playoff performance as something of a barometer as to how much they can trust certain pieces for 2026. In other cases, they've already seen enough from certain players to know whether it's time to move on or if a particular guy has earned more playing time once next season kicks off.

Great teams are always evaluating and planning for the future, and the Dodgers are just that. With that said, there are three players who should see a larger role in 2025, and others who should take a back seat.

3 Dodgers who should see an expanded role in 2025

Reliever Edgardo Henriquez

After a brief cup of coffee in 2024, Edgardo Henriquez was just another one of the many injured arms on the Los Angeles pitching staff. What stood out about him, however, was the mysterious nature of how he suffered a fractured foot.

No matter the case, the Dodgers seemed intent on punishing him by holding him in Triple-A and bouncing him back and forth between the big league roster and Oklahoma City. Still, the 23-year-old has a big fastball that can touch 104 on the gun and posted a 2.37 ERA in 22 appearances. Given the issues the Dodgers have had in the bullpen, he should be given a shot to carve out a more consistent role even if he had some shaky playoff innings.

Starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan

Emmet Sheehan wasn't ready to go until about midseason as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but his return to action came at the perfect time for the Dodgers, who were dealt several new injury blows in their rotation. Dave Roberts recognizes Sheehan's value, too, even if he ultimately decided to put him in the bullpen for the postseason.

With a 2.82 ERA and 30.6% strikeout rate over 73 1/3 innings, the 25-year-old could push for a regular spot in the starting rotation next season. With Clayton Kershaw retiring, and the plans for Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki as full-time starters next season up in the air, Sheehan could help fill that void.

Utilityman Hyeseong Kim

Both of the Dodgers' other utilitymen, Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernandez, are free agents at season's end. Rojas was decent with the bat this season, but at 36 there's a question about how much he has left in the tank. Hernandez was brutal during the regular season, but his postseason heroics might just make him a Dodger for life so they can have his bat for October.

Regardless, it looks like some shifts might occur there, and Hyeseong Kim is slated to be the beneficiary. The Korean import had a decent year with a .280/.314/.385 line, but more importantly he added the outfield to his repertoire, providing the versatility the Dodgers crave. At 26, he's got significantly more upside than his aging counterparts.

3 Dodgers who should have reduced roles in 2026

Reliever Blake Treinen

Blake Treinen's 2025 struggles are well documented. The 37-year-old has fallen down the trust tree and likely won't return to a prominent late-inning role in 2026. While he'll have a place on the team, in part due to his $11 million salary for 2026, he'll have to earn his way back, especially after a terrible postseason.

There's also the question of injuries, as Treinen has missed significant time during most of his Dodgers tenure. Typically speaking, pitchers don't get more durable as they age.

Catcher Dalton Rushing

Perhaps no one has their 2026 plans more clouded than Dalton Rushing. The highly-anticipated prospect did nothing to capitalize on the opportunity he was given, with a .204/.258/.324 line in 155 plate appearances that was accompanied by a putrid 37.4% strikeout rate.

Will Smith will handle catching duties for the foreseeable future. Ben Rortvedt was under team control before the Dodgers let him go, but seemed like an ideal solution if LApreferred a more defensive-minded backup. So what does that all mean for Rushing? Could it be a move to left field? Getting sent back to Triple-A for more seasoning? Whatever it is, it's clear that Rushing needs regular at-bats if he's going to succeed. That could mean spending a lot of time in Oklahoma City rather than occupying a regular backup spot, which can't be good for his development. They should elevate another Rortvedt type to occupy that role instead.

Reliever Anthony Banda

Based on pure results, lefty reliever Anthony Banda was one of the better arms in the struggling 'pen, but how much of the journeyman's performance is real? It was just two years ago that Banda posted a 6.43 ERA for the Washington Nationals. The year prior, he shuffled between the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees, posting a combined 6.75 mark.

Banda's 3.18 ERA this season doesn't line up with his 4.52 FIP, and he was likely the beneficiary of an abnormally low and unsustainable .227 BABIP. If the Dodgers are serious about rebuilding their bullpen, they'll need a surer bet.